Abuse
by Chibi Scissorwoman
Summary: One of the Scissortwins is abused, and the other has no idea. After a particularly bad session, the other finds out, and they seek revenge. CT3 fic. Starts T, may change to M. Story's better... trust me. Updated... Part 10 now up. COMPLETED.
1. Part 1

_**A/N: This is my first Clock Tower 3 fanfic! This takes place before the Scissortwins and Burroughs are killed, so in essence, they're still human here. CT3 is the only Clock Tower game I've played... and I absolutely love the twins. Please R&R! ^^**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own CT3. If I did, I would be awesome. Lol.**_

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~~~~~~~Part One~~~~~~~

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She looked down at the scars on both her legs. Jemima couldn't fathom why he would do this to her... but somehow she knew she deserved it. Why else would he always scream at her? Take her blades and cut her up, leaving her bleeding? Why else would she only face his wrath and not Ralph? It made sense to her that she deserved it... but what she deserved it for was another matter. The man was insane, that was all she knew. Kept going on and on about these girls called Rooders... something about a Ritual of Engagement... She didn't really understand; she only knew she and her brother were supposed to kill when he told them to.

"Jemima!"

She looked up as the familiar voice of Ralph reached her ears, and her brother walked into the room. He was a sight: dressed in his normal clothes, looking happy with his two scissor blades.

"What is it?" Jemima asked.

"He wants us to kill more again," Ralph replied, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Wants us to continue searching for the Rooders! Come on, let's go!"

Jemima nodded, picked up her identical scissor blades from the table next to the bed, and followed her brother out of the room. Her most recent wounds, two on her arms and one on her leg, stung as she walked, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. If Ralph ever found out... he'd get beaten as well.

"Are you all right?" Ralph suddenly asked, looking back at her with concern.

"Fine," Jemima answered, forcing a smile. "We should go. Get that job done." Worry flickered for a moment in Ralph's eyes, then it was quickly gone as the twins departed the manor.


	2. Part 2

**_A/N: Okay, so nothing really big happened in that part... lol. Here's part 2! I'm not repeating the disclaimer... you all should know that by now lol. Okies, please R&R! Enjoy! ^_^_**

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~~~~~~Part Two~~~~~~

They danced around the helpless man, their blades clacking together and forming scissors. Their mirthless, sadistic laughter filled the air.

"Snippety-snap!" Jemima taunted, snipping her blades in the man's face.

"No! Please!" the man begged, trying to squirm away from the twins. "Please, let me go!"

"Not until you tell us where the Rooders are!" Ralph declared, pointing a blade at him.

"R-Rooders?" the frightened man repeated, shielding his face. "I don't know of any Rooders! I don't even know what they are! Please, let me go!"

Ralph pulled his blade back and sneered, "Then I have a present for you!" He combined his blades into scissors, then ran forward.

Jemima's evil laughter and the man's scream echoed through the air as her brother brutally beheaded the man, killing him.

As Ralph pulled his blades back and wiped off the blood on the dead man's shirt, Jemima asked, "How many deaths does he want tonight?"

"Five," her brother answered with glee. "Then we can go back and report!"

Jemima stared at her brother with envy. He was so good at killing... He pleased their master, at any rate. Ralph had killed much more than Jemima, even though she'd been with him on every mission they'd been on.

"We should go in the house," she said, pointing at the door. "See if anyone's in there and give them a surprise!" She cackled.

Ralph grinned. "Excellent idea!"

He walked over to the door, Jemima behind him, and kicked it open. As he started walking into the house, Jemima picked up the head of the dead body and threw it at him. He caught it by the hair and looked back at her.

"Thought you might like it," she said, shrugging. Ralph smiled at her.

"Nobody can identify the body now!" he said, his eyes glinting. The twins then ran into the house.

The first person Jemima saw was a middle-aged woman, walking innocently down the hallway. She instantly concealed herself in the shadows so she wouldn't be seen. Ralph was nowhere in sight; she concluded he had gone off somewhere to take care of the head.

When the woman was close, Jemima let out a loud, evil cackle. The woman suddenly looked terrified, and Jemima jumped out, brandishing her blades. The woman screamed, and Jemima sneered, "Slice and dice!"

She lunged forward with one of her blades, not giving the victim a chance to respond. The weapon sliced through the woman, causing a fountain of blood to spurt from the body. Jemima jumped back to avoid being sprayed, and as the body fell, she thrust her second blade into the woman's forehead. She dragged both blades through the body until they met, cleaving the body in half.

Jemima then dragged the two halves of the body to the kitchen, where she saw Ralph throw the head in one of the ovens to burn. He turned to her, saw her victim, and smiled.

"Help me," said Jemima. Ralph took a half, and they both dragged the body to a corner, where Jemima then set it on fire with a burning oil lamp on the table. Ralph cackled, then the twins left the kitchen, leaving the body burning.

About an hour later, Ralph had made his final kill, and the twins were now going back to the manor.

"Ah!" sighed Ralph contentedly, stretching his arms over his head. "How proud will Master be when he hears we've done what he's asked!"

"Yeah," said Jemima with half her normal enthusiasm. She knew what would happen. He would be happy with Ralph... but she shouldn't receive _too _bad of a beating if he knew she had at least killed _one _by herself... She shuddered at the thought. Hopefully he'd be so pleased with Ralph he wouldn't ask to see her. Hopefully her beating would come another day...

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ralph asked, looking over at her. "You don't seem your normal self."

"I'm _fine, _Ralph," Jemima insisted. She couldn't have Ralph knowing about what was happening to her... She didn't want it to happen to him as well...

"All right, all right, I'm sorry," said Ralph, raising his hands and backing a couple of steps away from her.

They eventually reached the manor, and once they entered, Jemima quickly went up to her room while Ralph went to see their master.

The girl anxiously paced around the room. It really wasn't like her to be scared like this, but then again... She prayed he wouldn't want to see her. She prayed Ralph's report would be enough to sustain him...

A sudden knock at the door sounded, and Jemima's heart fell. Oh no. Please don't say it's...

"Jemima?" One of her master's maids poked her head in the door. "The master wants to see you."

Jemima nodded, picked up her blades again, and anxiously left the room.

As she slowly walked down the stairs to her master's study, her heart began to pump harder as fear began to fill her. _Here we go again..._

She reached the study and opened the door. As she walked in and closed the door behind her, Jemima noticed the man sitting at the desk. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, and she cowered.

Here was her master... Lord Burroughs.


	3. Part 3

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_**A/N: So, here's part three! Uh-oh... methinks Jemima's in trouble! O.O**_

_**Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! ^_^ Hope you all like this one! ^^**_

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~~~~~Part Three~~~~~

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"Jemima." His voice spoke her name with authority, and she cautiously approached the desk. "Your brother has reported that you two have met your quota for tonight. Now, I would like to ask you a question. Come, give me your blades." Jemima hesitantly placed both her scissor blades on Burroughs's desk, then quickly backed up a few paces.

"Now, Jemima... how many did you kill? Or did you leave all the work to your brother again?"

Jemima flinched slightly. "No, Master... I killed one."

Burroughs's eyes narrowed. "One," he repeated. Jemima could sense anger beginning to flow into his tone, and retreated even more. _"One? _Come here, Jemima!"

Fearing what would happen if she didn't, Jemima quickly scampered up to the front of the desk. Lord Burroughs's eyes filled with anger, and he reached up and violently slapped her across the face.

The girl fell to the floor as he stood up and walked around from behind his desk. She quickly tried to scoot away from him, but he kicked her in the stomach, keeping her on the ground.

_"You worthless girl!" _he yelled, kicking her away from him. "What kind of killer _are _you? The only reason I keep you here is for your skills!"

He stormed over to her, grabbed hold of her hair, and violently forced her onto her feet.

"You _stupid, insolent, worthless, useless _girl!" Lord Burroughs shouted, punctuating each word by slamming Jemima's head into a nearby bookcase each time.

Tears stung her eyes as she silently wished for him to stop. She dared not sob or cry out in pain in front of him; she had learned the hard way what the consequences were the first time.

_"Killing one isn't good enough!" _More slams into the bookcase. _"Why can't you do better?" _Turning around, being punched in the eye and mouth. _"You don't deserve to live here anymore!"_

With that declaration, he finally threw her away from him, and she tumbled across the floor. Jemima staggered to her feet just in time to see him grab her blades from the desk and stalk over to her. She swallowed in fright, willing herself not to cry.

Burroughs reached her, propping up her chin with a blade. He then suddenly swung the other one and made a cut in her stomach.

Pain roared through her, even stronger than it had before, as blood dribbled down her pale skin. She bit her lip again, trying to keep the tears from falling and herself from screaming. Burroughs swung the blade again, this time slicing through her thigh.

Her leg twitched as she felt a powerful wave of pain again, and Lord Burroughs's eyes narrowed. He then punched Jemima in the side of the head. Bright lights spotted her vision as she landed on the floor yet again. Her master glared down at her, and slashed her in the shoulder.

Jemima's entire body shuddered, and Lord Burroughs threw her blades down next to her, barely missing stabbing her hands.

_"Don't _fail me like this _again," _he growled ferociously. He kicked her one last time, knocking the breath out of her, then stormed out of the study. The door slammed, causing Jemima to flinch, then the front door slammed, showing he had left the manor.

She lay there for a moment, struggling to regain the ability to breathe. The study door suddenly opened again, and Lord Burroughs's last living maid rushed in. She was the only one outside of Burroughs and Jemima who knew what occurred in the study, and she ensured that Ralph was kept in the dark about it.

"Jemima!" the maid cried, kneeling next to her. She helped the girl sit up, and soon afterward, Jemima was coughing.

"I was worried he'd killed you this time!" the maid exclaimed, beginning to clean Jemima's wounds. They were never bandaged; this was to prevent any suspicions from being aroused from Ralph and to prolong Jemima's suffering on orders from Burroughs.

Jemima took a breath. Now that her master was gone, she was free to cry... and cry she did. Tears poured rapidly from her eyes, and quiet sobs emanated from her as the maid stopped her bleeding. Her entire body severely hurt, and she felt it would kill her to move... but she knew she had to get out of there before Burroughs returned.

After a moment, she picked up her blades and used the wall to get to her feet. Her body instantly screamed in protest at the action, but she ignored it as she struggled to make her way out of the study and back to her room.

"Make sure Ralph doesn't see me... like this..." she told the maid as she opened the door. The maid nodded and left the study, presumably to find Ralph and keep him occupied.

A few minutes later, Jemima struggled up the stairs, clutching the banister in one hand and her blades in the other. Each step sent a shock of pain through her, and several times she had to stop, her eyes screwed shut in agony.

She was almost at the top when the front door opened and slammed again. Jemima looked fearfully behind her and saw that Lord Burroughs had returned. Her heart raced anxiously.

The abusive man looked up at her and met her eyes. The light she saw in them was so terrifying that her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the step. Fear grew in her as she heard his heavy footsteps come up behind her, tensing as he lifted her into his arms.

To her mild surprise, he carried her the remainder of the way to her room, and once there, laid her tenderly in her bed. He then left the room without another word, and before she could do anything, Jemima passed out from exhaustion.


	4. Part 4

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_**A/N: So, here it is at long last... part 4! ^_^ Thanks for your review, The Offbeat Alchemist... That scene was probably the hardest for me to write so far! ^^;;; Lol. **_

_**So... enjoy part 4 of Abuse, and you know the disclaimer, you know the drill. :D**_

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_~~~~~Part Four~~~~~_

As usual, Jemima's injuries kept her bedridden for three days. During those days, Ralph always went into a depression, for he wasn't allowed to see his twin at all. When she was finally allowed out of bed, it was always Ralph who welcomed her back with a warm, loving hug. He'd then tell her about yet another mission Burroughs wanted them to do, and this time was no different.

"He wants us to kill ten this time," he told her, sitting on the staircase next to her. "He wouldn't let me do it without you -- I've already asked."

Jemima sighed. Great. Another chance for her to screw up... another chance to be beaten. She swore he did this on purpose...

"We'd better go do it," said Ralph, standing up. "Don't want him to be mad at us!" Jemima stood and followed as he left the manor. If only it was that easy... She sighed again and ran after him.

A couple of hours later, they had killed six people. Well, _Ralph _had. Jemima had taunted and tortured them while her brother had ended their lives. Now, they were on the hunt for their seventh victim.

"There!" Jemima pointed at a young girl, playing alone on a grassy field. Ralph saw the intended and grinned.

"Her?" he asked. "Are you sure, Jemima?"

"Of course I am," Jemima replied. "Let's make her dance!"

The twins jumped out at the girl, who screamed in fear. "Mommy!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

"No one here, little girl," Ralph sneered, laughing evilly.

"Dance, little girl, dance with my blades!" Jemima cried, jabbing the girl with her scissor blades and laughing. The crying girl jumped around, trying to dodge Jemima's blades, but in doing so, managed to impale herself on one of Ralph's. The twins laughed with evil insanity as the victim's blood ran down the steel, and Ralph tossed her into the air while Jemima leapt up and carved into the dead girl's flesh. They continued laughing as the mutilated corpse landed on the ground.

"Seven down, three to go!" Ralph declared. "Time to kill and torture another one!"

The next hour passed in similar fashion, with Jemima torturing the victims and Ralph killing them. As they stood over their last victim, which Ralph had enjoyed dismembering, they laughed in triumph. Jemima felt joyous. She always loved to come out with her brother and torture and kill others... It always helped her to forget how Burroughs treated her, even if it was just for a moment.

"That's the last one," said Ralph. "We'd better go back and report!"

Jemima's stomach immediately fluttered in nervousness. She suddenly found herself wishing she could tell her brother about everything that was happening to her, about what Burroughs was doing to her... anything to make him not report about her. Only the thought of her brother being beaten as well kept her mouth shut.

"Come on, Jemima!" Ralph exclaimed, starting to walk away. Jemima shook her head and followed him.

They seemed to reach the manor again in no time, and Jemima was visibly shaking as they passed into the building. The twins suddenly saw the maid standing in front of the study doors, and Ralph cocked his head.

"Grace?" he questioned. "What are you doing there?"

"Lord Burroughs isn't here," the maid replied. "He gave me orders to send you two up to your rooms until he gets back tomorrow." Jemima sighed in relief. She wouldn't be getting beaten tonight! Thank God... She wouldn't have to face his wrath until tomorrow.

"What about dinner?" Ralph asked. Burroughs had always been the one to give them their dinner and sit with them as they ate -- an action that always caused Jemima to become so frightened she could barely force herself to eat. Of course, she had to disguise her fear each time so Lord Burroughs wouldn't rage and so that Ralph wouldn't question her. In truth, Lord Burroughs scared the daylights out of her by merely standing near her.

"I will bring it to you," Grace replied. "Now, go up to your rooms."

The twins nodded and started up the stairs. They walked side by side, and Jemima took deep breaths to attempt to calm her erratic heartbeat. The shock and relief of Burroughs not being home when they arrived was enough to make her head spin.

"Are you all right?" Ralph asked. "You look as if you're going to faint." Jemima looked at him. She wished he'd stop asking her that... She understood his concern, but it was just getting annoying.

"I'm fine," she answered, feeling as if she'd repeated herself numerous times. Ralph nodded, and the two reached the top of the staircase and retreated into their rooms.

Jemima laid on her bed, holding her blades up and watching the light from the lamp reflect off them. Her wounds hurt, but it was just the dull pain she had learned to live with. Was there ever going to be a day where she _wasn't _in pain? No, there wasn't, she realized... not until Burroughs was out of her life, and that wouldn't be for a long time, if ever. She just had to resign herself to it... She sighed. That was easier said than done.

"Jemima?" came Grace's voice from outside the door. Jemima tossed a blade at the door. It stuck, and the door opened to reveal Grace with a tray of food. The girl sat up as the maid walked in and set the tray on the bed, then yanked the blade out of the door and set it on the table. Jemima looked down at the tray.

In one corner was a bowl of creamy, white soup; in the other was a small plate with buttered bread. The main course, in the middle of the tray, was several slices of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and -- Jemima grimaced -- green beans. Gah. She _hated _green beans... she hated practically all vegetables. She sampled the soup to discover it was clam chowder. Her stomach growled, pleased, and Jemima began greedily eating the soup.

Grace smiled and left the room, and Ralph came in a moment later.

"You're already finished?" Jemima asked, swallowing and cringing as the hot soup stung her throat. Ralph nodded.

"I eat fast, remember?" he replied, smiling. He then took his hands out from behind his back. "Brought you something!"

Jemima looked up and smiled as she saw two chocolate muffins in his hands. "Where'd you get those?" she asked incredulously.

"Went and stole 'em while Grace was in here," said Ralph. "Better thank me!"

Jemima finished her soup and grabbed one of the muffins with her blades. She instantly devoured it, savoring the delicious sweet taste. Licking the crumbs from her lips, she began eating the chicken and looked up, her mouth full. She saw Ralph smiling at her and knew she must look ridiculous. She swallowed, and she watched Ralph's face fall as his dark eyes traveled down her body and discovered the wound on her stomach.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at it. Jemima looked down, then looked away.

"Nothing," she replied, concentrating on her food. "Just accidentally cut myself, that's all." She felt her brother's gaze on her as she ate her way through her meal.

"Why do I have a feeling that's not the truth?" he finally asked.

"Well, it is, all right?" Jemima said, her tone defensive. She began eating her bread, leaving her green beans untouched. Ralph sighed and sat on the bed in front of her.

"You never eat your vegetables," he said, a teasing note in his voice. Jemima looked up at him, a piece of bread hanging out of her mouth, pleased that he'd dropped the subject. If she'd let slip, there was no telling how he'd react.

Her twin began eating her green beans, and Jemima finished her bread. Ralph stuffed the muffin in his mouth just as Grace walked in again.

The maid sighed as she looked at Jemima's tray. "Ralph, you ate Jemima's green beans, didn't you?" Ralph nodded, and she continued, "At least _one _of you likes vegetables." She picked up the tray and said, "It's bathtime tonight. Jemima, you're going first. Bathroom now."

Jemima sighed as Grace left the room. She hated baths, especially when she wasn't allowed to bathe herself. This only occurred when Burroughs was gone, and Grace tended to make the water too hot and would pull her hair as she washed it.

"Have fun," Ralph said, smirking at her. She glared at him. He knew how she felt about baths, and loved to tease her about it.

"Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically. "You bet I will." She rolled her eyes and left the room.

Later, as she stood in the bathroom, Jemima looked at herself in the mirror. She stripped off her clothes and turned around, craning her head over her shoulder to attempt to see the reflection of her back. She grimaced at her appearance.

Her body was covered in scars; her skin marked in numerous places. She touched the healing cut on her shoulder and flinched; even after three days the thing still brought her pain. She sighed, turning back around and taking her hair down from its usual somewhat-complicated hairstyle. Shaking her head so her black hair rippled down to its full length, Jemima looked in the mirror again and studied her eyes. Fear buried itself in their dark blue depths, and the glimmer of hope she'd been looking for was nowhere. She hung her head and sighed.

_Look what he's turning me into. Look what I'm becoming._

The rattle of the doorknob suddenly startled her, and Jemima quickly rushed over and jumped into the empty bathtub. Immediately afterward, Grace staggered in, carrying two large buckets of water. Jemima looked and noticed the buckets were steaming as Grace closed the door, and she said, "That water seems hotter than normal, Grace..."

Grace walked back over and picked up one of the buckets. "I'm sorry, Jemima," she said, preparing to tip it over. Jemima's eyes widened as she saw the reason for all the steam. Boiling water...

"Lord Burroughs's orders."

She then poured the entire bucket onto the girl.

Jemima screamed.


	5. Part 5

_**A/N: Thanks for your awesome review again, The Offbeat Alchemist! ^_^ I'm incredibly proud of this story... I think it's my most well-written. It's also my most well-received, methinks! ^^ Anyway... here's part 5! Read, review, enjoy... and of course, the disclaimer's on the first chapter. ^^**_

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_~~~~~Part Five~~~~~_

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_"Jemima!"_

_"No, please... let me go!"_

_"Jemima, why won't you cooperate?"_

_"No!"_

_A slap sounded. Jemima recoiled in pain and fear, and she barely had time to recover herself before she was grabbed again and slammed against the wall. A hand snaked around and found its way to her skirt and began tugging on it. _

_"What are you doing?" Jemima shrieked, trying to break free._

_"You cannot kill for me," Burroughs's voice replied, ripping her skirt off, "so you will be useful another way!" He violently turned her around and forced her to look at his horrible red eyes. He suddenly grabbed her throat and squeezed, and she scrabbled at his hand as he slammed into her. _

_"No!"_

"Jemima, wake up! Jemima!"

Jemima's eyes snapped open, and she shot up, panting. For a moment she was convinced she was still dreaming, then her mind cleared as she saw Ralph sitting on the bed in front of her, looking at her with worry in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he questioned. "I heard you screaming in your sleep. Woke me up."

"I'm sorry," said Jemima, looking away. "Just had a bad dream. Can't remember what it was about." That was a lie and she knew it, but... she didn't want her brother to know because she was scared of the consequences for him.

"I heard you screaming last night during your bath, too," Ralph said. "What happened?"

Jemima hesitated. She couldn't tell him she'd been scalded under Lord Burroughs's orders... that'd run under telling him Burroughs was abusing her, and she didn't want to tell her brother that, either.

"Grace just accidentally made the water too hot," she replied, quickly inventing a story. "It just caught me by surprise, so I screamed, that's all." She watched him tensely, hoping he'd believe her. It was silent, and she could hear her heart roaring nervously in her ears.

"You're all red, though," Ralph said finally.

"I'm fine," Jemima countered. "Really hot water turns your skin pink. No real harm done." She took a breath and attempted to change the subject. "The master's back today, isn't he? Why don't you go see how many he wants this time?"

Ralph nodded and stood up. Walking to the door, he paused midway and looked bak at her. Jemima looked up and met his eyes, struggling to keep her expression from betraying her. After a moment, her twin left the room, leaving her by herself.

Jemima sighed in relief, thankful that Ralph hadn't challenged her story. She felt horrible about lying to him, but in her eyes, keeping him in the dark was better than him being beaten as well. She didn't need him in pain, too; she could barely handle her own!

She winced as she moved and her burns rubbed against her clothes. Her worst burns were on her chest, shoulders, and back, and they pained her every time she moved. How she was going to disguise it today she had no idea... because she knew Burroughs was going to order them to kill yet again. Not that she hated killing -- she loved and adored it, but it was a hassle to do when she was in pain.

_Why is he doing this to me? _she wondered angrily. _I've killed people, too! Just because Ralph's killed more than I have doesn't give him the right to do this!_ She stood up and grabbed her blades from the bedside table. Holding them up and forming scissors, she stared at them and marveled at what she did with them.

_Torturing and killing, _she thought, snipping them a couple of times. _What a beautiful pastime... but I'd _love _to slice and dice that bastard!_

The door suddenly opened, and Jemima jumped, startled.

"Jemima!" Ralph's voice called. "He wants ten again! He's in a really bad mood, so we have to torture them as much as possible!"

Jemima's eyes widened. Burroughs in a really bad mood? She didn't want to think of the outcome of that...

"Come on, Jemima!" Ralph said, rushing forward and taking his sister's wrist. "Let's go murdering!" His words led Jemima to smile, and they ran out of the manor, laughing evilly.

An hour later, they had found a victim, and danced around her as they laughed and jabbed her with their blades.

"Snippety-snap!" Jemima cried. "Poke, poke, poke!"

"Dance, girlie, dance!" Ralph added.

"Please stop!" the woman cried, crawling around in circles to attempt to escape. The twins laughed in evil mischief, swinging their blades and cutting her.

"What, you want us to stop?" Ralph taunted, holding her chin up with a blade and looking down at her.

"Yes, please!" the woman sobbed, tears pouring sickly from her eyes. Jemima jumped onto her back, laughing in glee, and picked up one of the woman's arms. She began hacking at the shoulder, determined to rip off her limbs. Jemima finally ripped off the woman's arm, and as the victim screamed and blood poured, Jemima threw the arm to Ralph and screamed with laughter. Her brother caught the arm as she leapt off, and he exclaimed, "All right, we'll stop!"

He threw the woman away from him, combined his blades, then ran them into her stomach. Blood spewed fro the woman's mouth onto Ralph, and he violently wrenched his blades to her sides, ripping them out. Jemima ran forward and plunged her blade into the woman's throat, digging it in as blood splashed up onto it.

The woman shuddered and stilled as the murderous twins laughed mockingly. "Excellent!" Ralph exclaimed, pulling Jemima to him and dancing with her in a circle. She cackled, filled with joy. She loved doing this so much. She loved watching their victims squirm and writhe, begging for their lives... loved the feel of their death as they killed them.

"Jemima!" cried Ralph suddenly. Jemima looked up and saw three people running towards her, each carrying a sword. She dodged out of the way as they rushed forward, then used one of her blades to slash all three of them at the same time.

"Sorry, not dying today!" she exclaimed as her blade cleaved them in half. As they fell dead to the ground in front of Ralph, he looked up at her and grinned. Jemima smiled back at him, then suddenly pain shot violently through her from the burn on her back. She let out a groan and sank to her knees, her eyes screwed shut as she waited for the agony to go away.

"Jemima!" Ralph exclaimed in alarm, running over and kneeling next to her. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jemima managed to say, rocking back and forth. "Just... I have a... cramp, that's all."

"Where?" Ralph asked. "Do you want me to make it better?"

Jemima shook her head, opening her eyes and blinking as the pain subsided. "It's gone now," she said. Ralph stood up and pulled her to her feet, and she continued, "Four dead. Six left. Want to go?"

"You bet!" Ralph replied, his eyes flashing. She looked at him, smiled, and laughed, and the twins ran off in search of their next victim.

A half hour later, they had slaughtered their final victim. Jemima cackled, licking the blood off her blades. She'd killed this one... She'd killed four and a half today! An improvement from yesterday! She and Ralph had both killed their first at the same time; that was why the total came out to four and a half. He'd killed one more person than her, but what did it matter? She was pleased with herself, and hopefully Burroughs would be, too. She could only hope...

Ralph laughed in triumph. "Excellent job, Jemima!" he exclaimed. He grabbed her by her waist and threw her up into the air. Jemima laughed as she soared, feeling like a child again as her brother caught her. If only she _could _be a child again... Then she wouldn't be living in fear of Burroughs. Then she'd be an extremely hyperactive whirlwind again... Not that she wasn't now, but being beaten almost daily had toned her down a bit. Now she feared even walking happily when Burroughs was around. She envied Ralph; him being able to do whatever he wanted, act however he wanted without fear of getting into trouble. Jemima wished she still had that freedom.

"Let's go back," her twin said. "Maybe news of our killings will cheer the master up!"

"Maybe," Jemima echoed. Ralph set her down, and she jumped on his back in piggyback style. Her brother looked at her and laughed after a moment, and she latched onto him as he ran back towards the manor.

They reached their destination sometime later, and Jemima freed herself as they walked in. Her eyes widened as she saw Lord Burroughs standing outside the doors of his study. His broadsword hung by his side, his lips were pursed, and there was evident anger in his eyes. Jemima forced herself not to cringe as his gaze swooped down upon her.

"Master Burroughs," said Ralph in surprise.

"Ralph, Jemima," Burroughs said, nodding to each of them. Jemima could tell he was struggling to repress his anger in his voice, but he was still as frightening as ever, even when he tried to sound nice.

"How was the spree?" Burroughs asked, looking straight at Ralph.

"Amazing, sir!" Ralph replied fearlessly. "We tortured them just as you wanted, and Jemima killed four while I killed five!"

Burroughs's eyes flashed to Jemima, then back at Ralph. "What about the last one?" he asked.

"We killed her together," her brother answered. "I gutted her while Jemima stabbed her in the throat."

"Good, good..." said Lord Burroughs. Jemima relaxed a bit. He liked Ralph's news. Maybe he was pleased with her at long last...

She dared to look up at him, and instantly her hopes were shot. He was looking straight at her, and there was no sign of pleasure or satisfaction in his eyes. Her stomach did flips as she realized she'd be beaten again... and since he was in a horrible mood today, it was likely to be worse than normal. Oh no...

"Thank you, Ralph. Up to your room."

Ralph nodded, gave Jemima a "see you later" look, and scampered up the stairs. Once he heard Ralph's door close, Lord Burroughs grabbed Jemima's wrist and roughly threw her into the study.


	6. Part 6

_**A/N: All right! Here's part 6! It's a shorter chappy, but it's the continuation to the cliffy in part 5. Here's what happens after Jemima's thrown into the study... O.O**_

_**Thanks for your reviews, The Offbeat Alchemist and Scissorman! ^_^ Now you don't have to thrive on a cliffhanger anymore! ^^**_

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**~~~~~Part Six~~~~~_

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Jemima crashed into the desk, and she scrambled to her feet as Burroughs stormed in and slammed and locked the door. As he walked over to her, Jemima quickly combined her blades into scissors and guarded herself with them, walking shakily backwards away from him in fear.

"K-Keep away from me!" she stuttered, snipping them at him. Lord Burroughs stared for a moment, then unsheathed his broadsword and swung. His blade hit both of Jemima's, and they were knocked out of her hands and stuck in the floor. He then sheathed his sword, grabbed her by the hair, and tugged her head back.

"Pathetic little girl," he sneered, pulling her hair and shaking her head. "Can't even defend yourself!" Jemima sucked in a breath, keeping herself from screaming because she hurt so much. She prayed he'd keep away from her shoulders, chest, and back... her burns were there, and she didn't want them hurting any more than they already did.

Burroughs then threw her away from him, and she slammed into the wall. "I'm disappointed," he snarled, walking over and kneeing her in the stomach. His blow was so forceful that it knocked the wind out of her and she collapsed, gasping for breath.

"Why can't you kill as many as your brother?" he yelled, kicking her away from the wall. "I don't see _him _slacking off like you do!" He grabbed the front of her shirt, lifted her up, and punched her in multiple places: her face, her stomach, her arms, her mouth. Jemima felt blood well up in her mouth, but before she could spit it out, Burroughs punched her in the side of the head, letting her go.

She landed against the bookcase, hitting her head hard. Tears filled her eyes as she spat out the blood, feeling miserable and mortified. _Please... stop! _A tear suddenly fell, and she hoped he didn't see. He suddenly jerked her to her feet and looked at her, and she instantly knew he'd seen the tear track.

Burroughs slowly wiped the track with a thumb, then suddenly slapped her with the back of his hand. Jemima fell to the floor yet again, and she quickly scrambled over to her blades. She was determined to grab one and end Burroughs's life once and for all... she couldn't take it anymore!

As she reached out to grab a handle, Burroughs suddenly stepped on her wrist, pinning her hand to the ground and crushing it.

"I don't think so!" he shouted. Before Jemima could stop herself, she let out a cry of pain. _Oh no, _she thought to herself as she realized what she'd just done. _No!_

Burroughs let out a roar as he heard her, and he freed her hand and jolted her up by her hair. She felt her hair come free of the elastic that held it up, and as he began to solidly beat her, stringy black locks tumbled into her eyes.

"Am I hurting you?" Burroughs demanded, punching her. _"Am I hurting you?"_

"No!" Jemima shrieked; she knew he'd beat her harder if she answered yes.

He trapped her facefirst on his desk and painfully bent her arm behind her back. She flinched, struggling not to cry out again. She felt her shirt being lifted up, heard the drawing of a blade, then suddenly... he slashed across the burn on her back.

Jemima screamed in pain. She didn't even attempt to restrain herself this time; she knew there was no point to it. He slashed her again, and she screamed once more in response. Another slash, another scream. Tears poured down her face as she began to cry, wishing he'd stop. She wished Ralph were here... wished he'd suddenly rush in and save her from Lord Burroughs... but as the man roughly pulled down her shirt and threw her behind his desk, she knew that wouldn't happen.

He stormed behind the desk, stepped on her back, and grabbed the same arm he'd trapped earlier. He began pulling on it, and Jemima couldn't figure out why he was doing this until she heard a loud crack. He let go, and she attempted to move her arm, startled when she discovered she couldn't. He'd dislocated it, she realized in horror.

"You are a failure, Jemima!" he yelled. He set her free, and she weakly attempted to go retrieve her blades. He grabbed her other arm after a moment, went and picked up her blades with the other hand, then stormed out of the study, carrying her as if she was a rag doll.

He dragged her up the stairs, and once he reached her room, threw her in. Her head collided with the wall as she landed, and he threw her blades at her, which landed on the ground in front of her. She started crying again as he slammed the door and his footsteps faded angrily away. A moment later, she flinched as her bedroom door opened and closed again.

"Jemima!" Ralph's voice cried.


	7. Part 7

_**A/N: So, yes, last part, the worst of Jemima's abuse happened. Now... Ralph's entered. How's he going to react? O.O **_

_**I think this part is even shorter than the last... I don't ever realize how long these are until I upload them on here! XD Thanks to everybody who's reviewed! ^_^ As always, here's part 7, and as always, I hope you like it! ^_^ Disclaimer's same as always... I don't think I need to keep repeating this every time. **_

_**All right, please enjoy part 7!**_

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**~~~~~Part Seven~~~~~_

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She looked up, startled, as he ran over to her.

"What happened?" he cried, landing on the ground in front of her.

"N-Nothing," Jemima choked, still crying.

"That's a lie!" Ralph exclaimed. "You can't be like this and say nothing happened! What happened, Jemima? Why won't you tell me?"

Jemima flinched at his words. "I didn't want you to be beaten, too!" she cried.

Ralph looked at her, his eyes wide. "You mean... Master Burroughs _beats _you?" Jemima nodded, tears pouring steadily from her eyes. "And that's why you always come out looking like this... why you're always in bed for three days..." Jemima nodded again, and Ralph pulled her to him in a hug. She sobbed in his arms, her shoulders shaking.

"I'll _kill _that bastard!" Ralph vowed. "I'll take my scissors and make him_ regret _hurting you!"

"No, don't," Jemima pleaded. "Please, Ralph... he'll hurt you and he'll most likely kill me for telling you! He's convinced I'm worthless anyway; this'd be the perfect reason for getting rid of me!"

"I refuse to lose you," Ralph said fiercely. "I _will _get revenge. For you."

Jemima sighed and clutched onto hiim with her good arm. The twins stayed curled together in silence for a moment, then Jemima said, "He... dislocated my arm."

Ralph sat back, nodded, and turned her around. He replaced it with a pop, and she bit her lip at the pain.

"Will you be okay to kill tomorrow if he asks?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm always ready," she said. A knock on the door suddenly sounded, and Ralph picked up his blades, ready to attack if it was Burroughs.

"Ralph? Jemima?" Grace's voice reached them, and there was evident worry in it. "The master says to come down to dinner."

Her footsteps faded, and Ralph's eyes grew angry. Jemima could tell what he was thinking, and she said, "Don't attack him, Ralph... at least, not now. Just... act like you don't know, okay?" Her brother nodded, and the twins stood up and made their way downstairs. Jemima struggled down the stairs, trying to shut the pain off. She noticed Ralph kept looking at her, but he didn't move to help her. She knew this was just in case Burroughs saw, but she wished he could help her out.

A few minutes later, they arrived in the large, illustrious dining room. Lord Burroughs was sitting at the head of the table, and Ralph and Jemima quickly went to their places on either side of the table, facing each other. Jemima nervously played with her blades under the table, not meeting Burroughs's eyes.

"How nice it is to have the family together for dinner," Burroughs said after a moment, as bowls of pasta were placed in front of them. "I assume your injuries from fighting aren't too bad, Jemima?"

"No," Jemima replied in a small voice, concentrating on her food. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ralph stiffen. _Yes, that's how he explains them, _she thought.

"Good," said Burroughs. All was silent for a moment except for the clanging of forks against bowls and slurping from Ralph.

"Don't do that," their master scolded. "It's impolite."

"Yes, master," Ralph answered. Jemima saw him roll his eyes, and she quietly giggled.

"The hunt for a Rooder for the Ritual of Engagement is almost complete," Burroughs said, ignoring them. "I have a general idea as to where one is; the problem is getting to her. So, I am taking you two off duty for the next few days."

Ralph groaned in disappointment. "Why can't we find her for you?" he pestered. "We won't torture her _too _much!"

"No!" Lord Burroughs said with such force that Jemima flinched instantly. She shut her mind to the conversation, concentrating only on how good the pasta and tomato sauce tasted together. She was halfway through the bowl already, and she marveled at how the pasta was shaped. _It's a tube, _she thought, staring at it in awe. She knew the tube noodles had an actual name, but what that name was she had no idea.

"Jemima!" Burroughs's voice suddenly shook Jemima out of her thoughts, and she jumped.

"Yes?"

"I asked you if you were enjoying your meal."

"Oh, yes," she replied, beginning to eat with more relish.

"Good," their master replied. "You two do have your blades, yes?" The twins nodded. "Then, I will let you have some dinnertime fun. Grace!"

Ralph and Jemima looked at each other, and grins spread across their faces as they pulled their blades from their laps and the summoned maid rushed in.

"Yes, Master Burroughs?" she asked breathlessly.

Lord Burroughs smiled, his typical evil grin.

"Ralph, Jemima," he said, "she is yours." Grace's eyes looked horrified, Jemima ate one last bite of pasta, and the twins sprung upon her.

The maid's scream was interrupted by the splattering of blood as the twins killed her.


	8. Part 8

_**A/N: OMG EPIC. Lol. Here's part 8, finally! ^_^ Only two parts left after this, and the story's done... and in this one, Jemima and Ralph discover Lord Burroughs's journal... oh dear. Not very much happens in this, I don't think... but that's okay. ^^**_

_**Thanks to all my regular reviewers! ^^ Here's part 8, like I said, and please enjoy! ^^**_

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**~~~~~Part Eight~~~~~_

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A week passed, with the twins staying in the manor while Burroughs left every day to continue his hunt for a Rooder. Jemima's injuries were actually almost completely healed for once; Burroughs was too concentrated on his goal to beat her. Jemima was relieved that he was so concentrated, because it meant that more days were spent painless.

Every so often he'd bring a captive home for Ralph and Jemima to torture and kill, and they had glorious fun doing so. He didn't do this very often, however, so they were forced to stay alone in the manor every day, bored out of her minds.

Jemima thought about this as she dodged Ralph's blade. The twins were occupying themselves currently by sparring with each other, improving their fighting skills. Jemima thrust her blade forward, only to get stuck in between both of Ralph's.

Her brother laughed in triumph as he jolted the blade from her hand; it flew behind him and stuck in the ground. "Haha, I win!" he exclaimed.

Jemima's eyes narrowed, and she quickly spun and leapt over him. She yanked her blade out of the ground and lunged at him, kicking his feet out from under him.

"I did it, hooray!" she exclaimed as Ralph tumbled to the ground. She quickly dashed over and put either blade on both sides of his head before he could get up.

"I win!" she cried. Ralph smiled at her, then kicked her in the stomach just enough to get her off him. As Jemima tumbled backwards with her blades, the door suddenly crashed open.

There stood Lord Burroughs. He looked furious. Jemima quickly scooted away from him as he stormed in.

"Quit playing your childish games!" he yelled at both of them. "You two need to do a better job! They're getting suspicious!"

"You mean _you _need to do a better job," said Ralph. "You're the one doing the killing! You haven't sent us out to do anything!"

Burroughs glared at him. "Enough of your impertinence," he spat. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped Ralph across the face.

As Jemima saw her brother get hit, rage coursed through her. _Nobody _hurt her brother like that! She let out an enraged yell and ran at Lord Burroughs, her blades pointed at him.

She managed to get one slice at his arm before he turned around and flung her away from him. "And as for you!" he yelled, storming towards her. _"Never _touch me _again, _you wasteful little wench!"

Without further ado he disappeared into his study, slamming the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" Jemima asked, running over to her brother. Ralph nodded.

"Doesn't hurt," he said, smiling and shrugging. Jemima sighed as she looked at him. His cheek was an angry, bright red, and while it may not have hurt him now, it certainly must have hurt when Burroughs slapped him.

"Hey, don't look so sad," Ralph said, tilting her head to look into her eyes. "Don't worry, Jemima, I'm fine."

"I know, but he shouldn't do that to you," Jemima replied, gently brushing his cheek with her hand. He caught her wrist and brought it down.

"Don't worry about me," he repeated. "I'm fine, all right? It didn't hurt that much, and besides, you've hurt more than I have." Jemima sighed once more. She _was _concerned about Ralph, though, and that wouldn't change no matter how many times he told her _not _to worry.

She backed away and swung her blades up. "Want another round?" she asked. Ralph grinned.

"Always," he replied, flipping his own blades and catching them. The two then rushed forward and attacked, their blades clashing together with loud clangs. After a moment, Jemima leapt back and sparred with her brother with one blade, the other hidden behind her back. Ralph dodged every would-be-fatal blow from her, and she copied his movements, dancing in a glinting whirlwind of scissor blades.

She spun faster and faster, feeling the air speed up into a breeze, until a small, visible tornado was around her. Ralph tried to lunge at her, but the tornado blocked him, hurling him away.

"Whoa!" he cried once Jemima stopped spinning. "Where'd you learn that?"

She shrugged. "Just something I felt like doing," she replied. She then suddenly threw her blades away from her, feeling a wave of frustration.

"I need to kill something!" she shouted, going over and picking them up. "I _hate _being in this house all day! I want to go out and _kill _someone!"

"Why not Lord Burroughs?" Ralph suggested. "He's mistreating you, isn't he? You need to get back at him!"

Jemima stopped her recently-started pacing and looked at him. That was a fancy idea... To kill the man who was tormenting her seemed a marvelous idea! A grin slowly lifted her lips. After Burroughs was dead, she and her brother wouldn't have to serve anyone anymore... They could go out and kill however many they wanted!

She combined her blades and snipped them twice as she slowly crept towards the study. _Best to ambush him... then... snippety-snap!_

Her plan was suddenly shot down as Burroughs stormed out. Taken by surprise, Jemima didn't react as she was shoved to the side as her master angrily departed the manor.

"Damn," she swore as Ralph joined her. "Didn't work..."

"I wonder what he was doing in there," Ralph said, his voice curious. He looked at Jemima, and she nodded, knowing his intentions. After a moment, the twins entered the study.

Ralph and Jemima instantly went to the desk and began rifling through papers. News clippings, pictures, different writings... Jemima was curious as to what all these were, and she was about to read some of them when a drawer caught her eye. She reached down and opened it to discover a black book.

"Ralph, look at this!" she said, thumbing through it. Her twin stopped his actions and peered over her shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Lord Burroughs's journal, I think," Jemima replied, opening to the last written page. She laid the book on the table so her brother could see the entry. It wasn't dated, but the ink looked as if it was in the process of drying, so she concluded it was written today as she began reading.

_"My search for a Rooder is going nowhere. Ever since my precious Annabel died, I've been searching everywhere for a suitable girl to serve in the Ritual of Engagement... but no results. I have told Ralph and Jemima I was getting close, but this is an absolute lie. There aren't any Rooders here to be found! However, this does not mean I have given up on my search. _

_Speaking of the twins, I have thought about using Jemima for the Ritual as she continues to anger me, but each time I have decided against it. For one, she and her brother are already possessed by an Entity, thus she is unsuitable. Also, if I kill her, I would have to kill Ralph as well, and I won't let that happen. He is my best killer. Jemima is... inadequate._

_However, lately these twins have been annoying to me. They have become useless. I cannot think of anything to do with them except to kill them, so that is what I have decided to do. I will throw them into the bowels of the clock tower, for them to be swallowed by the cogs and crushed into oblivion. _

The entry ended with Burroughs's signature, and Jemima stared at it, blurring her sight. Being used in the Ritual... being inadequate... bowels of the clock tower... and what in the world was an Entity?

"Entity?" Ralph said, voicing her thoughts. "What's an Entity? He was going to use you in the Ritual? Good thing you're not a Rooder!"

"He's going to kill us, Ralph," Jemima said, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. "He's going to kill us by throwing us in the clock tower!"

"Clock tower..." Ralph repeated thoughtfully. After a moment, he started cackling.

"What are you thinking?" Jemima asked.

"Someone's going to visit the clock tower," her brother answered, "and it's not going to be us." As Jemima realized what he meant, she started cackling along with him. His plan was indeed evil...

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Jemima quickly replaced the journal as Burroughs rushed in, looking winded.

"Run, you idiots!" he bellowed at them. "There's a mob coming this way! They're coming to burn the castle!"


	9. Part 9

_**A/N: Yes, I know I uploaded part 8 yesterday, but I finished typing out parts 9-10 as well, so I decided I'd load part 9 today. ^^ I think this is the last time I'll be on for the week... but alas, don't be surprised if I upload the last one tomorrow or something. ^^**_

_**This part's rather short... the only part shorter than it, methinks, is part 1. But! It's amazing... somebody dies in this one! :D So... please enjoy and read! Or read and enjoy... whichever you want to order it. ^^**_

_**Thanks, as always, to my regular reviewers ^^**_

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**~~~~~Part Nine~~~~~_

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Ralph and Jemima looked at each other, then shot past their master out the study and up the wide, circular staircase. Jemima could hear him clunking along behind them, and they raced to the very top of the tower. Now was a perfect opportunity to put their plan into action.

They heard the front door crash open, heard Lord Burroughs shout, "Hurry, you imbeciles!" and ran faster. Jemima heard her heart roar in her ears as she ran. _Almost there... almost there..._

They eventually reached the top, and then they sat, their feet dangling into the abyss of cogs below them. Jemima's heart fluttered with excitement as she thought of their plan. It was so close to working!

The heavy footsteps of Lord Burroughs reached them, and they both stood and leapt out of the way as he stumbled forward.

"Gah!" he shouted, regaining his balance. "Come here, you two!"

"Never!" Jemima exclaimed, dodging his outreaching hands. "We know what you're going to do to us!"

"Throw us into the clock tower, are you?" Ralph added, lunging forward and slashing at Burroughs. Jemima did the same, cutting him in the chest.

"We have no use for you anymore," she said as she and her twin advanced on their master, causing him to back up to the edge. Ralph grinned, and the twins cackled.

"You... You can't do this to me!" Lord Burroughs exclaimed, struggling to stay upright as the twins continued to stalk towards him. "I'm your guardian! I provided for you! I _raised _you!"

"Yes, but you also abused Jemima," Ralph sneered. "And you know I can't _stand _when others abuse my sister."

Lord Burroughs's eyes widened, and Jemima said, "Farewell, _Dictator _Burroughs!" They then pushed him over the edge.

Their laughs echoed over Burroughs's yells as he fell, and they peered over just in time to see the man being crushed into a bloody heap by the cogs. Jemima laughed and danced in rejoice. She was finally free! Free from Burroughs... free from abuse... _Free!_

Their celebration was cut short when the mob Lord Burroughs had mentioned reached them. They all were a bunch of angry farmers, and they carried pitchforks and knives.

"Where's Lord Burroughs?" one of them demanded.

Before the twins could answer, another farmer shouted, "Those are those scissortwins of his!"

"They've killed too!" yelled another one. "Get them!"

The farmers began advancing towards the twins, who guarded themselves with their blades, walking backwards around the hole.

"Scissortwins?" Ralph said. "I rather like the sound of that!" Jemima nodded in agreement. She liked it, too... she liked it a lot.

She suddenly jumped as one of the farmers lunged at her with his pitchfork, and she knocked it out of his hand with a blade. She didn't know what they were here for except to destroy Burroughs Castle... but they had come seeking Lord Burroughs... and he was dead. Then she and Ralph were recognized...

As all this turned over in her head, Jemima gasped as she realized what they were really here for: Not to destroy the castle... but to destroy them!

"Ralph!" she cried, slicing through the farmer's arm. "Kill them! They're here to kill us!"

"Oh, why does everyone want to kill us?" Ralph questioned, following her lead and slashing at the mob. The two groups fought for a moment, pitchforks and knives against scissors, until suddenly something snagged Jemima around the arms and legs and she crashed to the ground.

"Jemima!" cried Ralph. A second thud followed; he was on the ground next to her, bound in the same way.

"To the town!" bellowed the leader of the mob. The farmers yelled in agreement, and one of them picked Jemima up and flung her over his shoulder. Ralph then proceeded to yell things like, "Put us down!" and "Let her go!" and Jemima struggled to get free as both were carried out and away from the tower.


	10. Part 10: The End

_**A/N: Well, here it is, everybody... the final part. Part ten. The end. **_

_**I'd like to thank everybody that's read this and reviewed for reading it and reviewing, especially The Offbeat Alchemist and Scissorman... I love you guys. ^^ *hugs everybody who's read this* **_

_**Coming up next... a oneshot featuring RalphxAlyssa. I'd really appreciate it if you all read it once I get it put up! ^_^**_

_**Now, without further ado... part ten: the conclusion. **_

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**~~~~~~Part Ten~~~~~~_

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About an hour later, the twins were thrown onto the ground. Someone cut the ropes binding Jemima, and she quickly jumped to her feet.

They were in the middle of the town square, and they were surrounded by a massive crowd of people. They all were screaming and yelling, and the girl felt trapped. Her instinct was to get rid of her obstacles, and thus she started wildly swinging her blades at the crowd, trying to hit them. She quickly looked to see Ralph was doing the same thing, and she managed to gouge a woman through the stomach.

This sent the crowd into even more of an uproar, and suddenly Jemima reeled as she was struck in the head with something. She looked down to see that a stone had been thrown at her, and pain burst through her again as she was pelted in the arm by another one.

Fear flooded her as the crowd began to yell, "Kill the Scissortwins! Kill the Scissortwins!" She stepped back and cried out in pain as a stone hit her in the stomach.

"Jemima!" Ralph cried as two more stones hit her, causing her to fall. He rushed over to her and shielded her with his own body, wrapping his arms around her and clutching her to him.

"Don't worry," he murmured in her ear. "I'll protect you."

_For how long? _Jemima wanted to scream as she lay in her brother's arms. She wanted to cry. They'd killed Burroughs, and all it'd gotten them was a ticket here, being stoned to death. They were being stoned to death and they couldn't do anything about it!

"Kill the Scissorman! Kill the Scissorman! Kill the Scissorman!"

The crowd's yells and Ralph's gasping in pain every time a stone hit him reverberated in Jemima's mind. She wanted to get up, to protect her twin for once... but he had such a tight hold on her that she couldn't move. She wasn't getting hit anymore, but that served little comfort as Ralph was getting hurt instead.

She couldn't see what was happening, but she flinched every time Ralph was struck... she could feel him being hurt. She felt tears begin to silently slide down her face as the stones continued to fly.

_Please... somebody! _she begged mentally. _Make them stop! They're hurting my brother! _They're killing my brother!

A rather large stone suddenly fell on his head, and a horrible cracking sounded. Blood suddenly streamed down from Ralph's scalp, nose, and mouth onto Jemima, and she looked up to only see the whites of his eyes. Horror filled her as she realized his grip on her was loosening, and he was sliding slowly off her. She quickly grabbed his arm and felt his neck... his skin was ice cold.

The crowd yelled in victory as Jemima's eyes widened. The horror was replaced by dread, which was then replaced by sorrow. _No... Ralph... no... no..._

_"No!" _Jemima screamed. _"No! _You killed him! _You killed my brother!"_

She pushed Ralph's body off her, stood up, and attempted to attack the crowd with her blades. Tears poured down her face as the crowd started yelling, "Kill the Scissorwoman! Kill the Scissorwoman!" and pelted her with stones. Jemima wept as she swung her blades at the crowd, determined to hurt them. They killed her brother! Her only companion! They all deserved to _die! _

She felt hollow inside as a stone struck her shoulder and she fell to her knees. She sat there sobbing, miserable about Ralph's death. Something was missing from her heart; whatever was holding it together was gone now. Her heart was broken, and she couldn't repair it. Ralph was gone... there was no reason to live anymore. She wanted to die. She was miserable enough to wish for her own death, and she didn't even try fighting against the crowd anymore.

_Please... just kill me... _she thought as she sat, letting herself be pelted by the flying stones. _Just let me be with Ralph again..._

"Kill the Scissorwoman! Kill the Scissorwoman! Kill the Scissorwoman! _Kill the Scissorwoman!" _

Jemima finally staggered to her feet, her body aching from all the blows from the stones. She stumbled over to Ralph's body, then slumped down next to it. As she continued to be pelted by stones, she dragged her lifeless brother so his head lay on her lap. She then hunched over it, protecting it. Even in death she'd protect him, making up for all the times he'd protected her in life.

Minutes passed that felt like eternity, and tears poured from her eyes as she was continuously hit. For a moment, she thought this torture would never end, but after a particularly hard and painful blow, she knew it finally was the end.

Her vision swam around her; blood poured from her mouth onto her brother's dead body. The roars and yells of the crowd were growing duller and duller as she slumped forward, and pain rippled through her repeatedly each time she was hit.

Her face made contact with Ralph's hair, and she suddenly couldn't breathe. She felt her body seize up, and her sight flickered into black.

Jemima was dead. She'd freed herself from Lord Burroughs's abusive tyranny after so long... but it had been too late. Now she'd been killed, her fate echoing her brother's. Her last thought, her last emotion had been relief, and happiness that not even death could separate her and her twin.

Jemima and Ralph, Lord Burroughs's infamous Scissortwins, were no more: they were dead in each other's arms.


End file.
